OSHA Renews Regional Emphasis on Struck-by Vehicle Hazards

The United States Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has renewed a Regional Emphasis Program to increase industry outreach and inspections in Kansas, Nebraska, and Missouri in an effort to reduce worker injury and illness rates involving vehicles, powered industrial trucks, and motorized equipment in construction, maritime, and general industry. This emphasis comes in response to the 35 workers killed in these state since 2012 in preventable struck-by vehicle incidents. Nationally, more than 198 workers died from struck-by vehicle incidents in 2014.
 
“Struck-by vehicle fatalities and injuries are 100 percent preventable. Yet, since 2012, of all fatalities OSHA has investigated in Kansas, Nebraska and Missouri, 20 percent have involved struck-by vehicle hazards,” said Marcia Drumm, regional administrator for OSHA. “Employers must do more to prevent these tragedies including evaluating their workplaces to identify and eliminate hazards, and training employees to recognize hazardous conditions.”
 
If you are in an industry which involves vehicles, powered industrial trucks, and motorized equipment in Kansas, Nebraska, or Missouri, it is important to ensure your occupational safety and health policies and procedures are compliant. Not only will OSHA be hard on you for struck-by hazards, there will also be random, surprise inspections as part of this regional emphasis. So if you have not recently reviewed your occupational safety and health policies and procedures, now is a good time.
 
If you have any questions about this regional emphasis or about updating your policies and procedures, please contact us. If you have anything to add about this regional emphasis, please leave a comment.